


Lost and Found

by CupCakezys



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: (basically), Adoption, Based on a Tumblr Post, Between Seasons/Series, Friends to Lovers, Getting Together, M/M, Magic Animal, Magic Archimedes, Magic Revealed, Merlin's Magic Revealed (Merlin), after season 3, before Season 4
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-03
Updated: 2019-09-03
Packaged: 2020-10-06 03:41:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,497
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20500286
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CupCakezys/pseuds/CupCakezys
Summary: After being dragged out on yet another hunting trip Merlin comes across a baby owl calling for help. Instantly taken with the little thing, he takes him home and raises him within the walls of Camelot. Shenanigans ensue.





	Lost and Found

**Author's Note:**

> Based on [this](https://inalandofmythandmerthur.tumblr.com/post/187373987589/imagine-merlin-having-archimedes-the-owl-as-a-pet) tumblr post. It said imagine, so I did.

Merlin really wished he’d stayed home today. Arthur could survive without him for one measly hunting trip, surely? All of the Knights of the Roundtable were with him, what could they run into during the few hours that they were away besides sweet little animals? A bandit or two, maybe, but they were the big strong type. They could protect themselves from a few bandits.

Fortunately, they had yet to come across anything other than a few rabbits that had been promptly shot and tied to Merlin’s horse. Unfortunately, it had started to drizzle, and now everyone was wet and shivering and Arthur _still _wasn’t calling the hunt off, insisting that they needed to find something better before they went back to Camelot.

Merlin groaned and shivered as a large drop of water ran down his back, making his skin crawl. He pulled his sodden neckerchief tight around his neck, and succeeded in making a few more drops running down his back and chest. He humphed and bent low over the saddle, glaring at Arthur’s back.

“We should head back now,” he tried, even if he knew Arthur was too stubborn to listen.

Sure enough, Arthur simply snorted. “Can’t handle a little rain, Merlin?”

Merlin groaned and opened his mouth to say something that would probably get him thrown in the stocks, but Leon beat him to it. “He’s right sire. We aren’t going to find anything else in this weather.”

Lancelot and Elyan agreed, and Gwaine grumbled something Merlin couldn’t quite catch. Whatever it was, it made Percival throw him a _look_, so it was probably for the better no one else heard him.

Arthur sighed and finally relented. He must have seen how miserable they all were, wet and shivering. Merlin wondered if the knights were warmer wrapped up in their armour, while he only had his tunic and thin leather jacket.

“Alright, fine,” Arthur said. “Turn back, we’ll reach Camelot within the hour.”

“Hopefully before this rain gets worse,” Gwaine muttered, just loud enough to be heard.

No one payed him any mind.

Merlin was just about to follow the rest of the knights when he heard a small noise coming from behind a tree. He pulled his horses’ reins slightly, encouraging him to stop and wait. He listened, and when the squeak came again he dismounted.

“_Mer_lin!” Arthur called, drawing his attention. “Weren’t you the one complaining five seconds ago? What are you doing, going for a little stroll?”

Merlin shook his head, too curious to banter. “Can’t you hear that?”

The knights stopped, all eyes on Merlin as they listened for the sound. The soft pat of rain on leaves filled the air, and Merlin shuddered as a water drop ran down his neck _again_. Arthur looked ready to call him out for making things up and being an idiot when the squeak came again, weaker this time.

The knights all looked at each other in surprise, while Merlin immediately made for the noise.

“Merlin- wait, you don’t know what it is-“

He ignored Arthur, pushing through some bushes until he came to the other side of a large tree, the trunk thicker than he and Arthur combined. He gasped at what he saw.

There were the remains of a nest, sticks and feathers scattered about all around the base of the tree. Merlin had only a second to wonder what had happened to it before his attention was stolen by a small moving ball of barely-there feathers. He made a noise in the back of his throat and fell to his knees, reaching a hand out to comfort the poor thing more on instinct than anything else.

The baby owl – Merlin recognized it from the owls that used to gather around his mothers’ house when he was young – squeaked and wiggled when he saw him, and Merlin winced back. He let a string of magic flow down his arm and gather in his palm as he shuffled forwards on his knees.

“It’s okay,” he murmured softly. “You’re okay, I’m not going to hurt you.”

The owl relaxed as his magic caressed it, and Merlin’s heart melted when the little thing actually nuzzled into his palm. He used his free hand to untie his neckerchief and warm it slightly, then he brought the hatchling to his chest and wrapped it securely in the fabric. It wasn’t completely dry, that would be far too suspicious, but it was warm, and that was all that mattered.

“You’ll be okay little guy,” Merlin soothed as he stood. “I’m going to look after you, I promise.”

A snort sounded behind him, and he abruptly curled his magic back into his chest. “You’re such a girl Merlin.”

He whirled around to see all of the knights watching him. He flushed at the looks they were sending him and held his small bundle close.

“He’s only a baby,” he said. “He’d die out here all alone.”

Arthur rolled his eyes, but his words weren’t as harsh as Merlin had thought they would have been. “Then it would have died. It’s an owl Merlin, not even a useful bird.”

Gwaine grinned. “We could always eat him when he got big enough.”

Merlin glowered. He caught Elyan and Percival rolling their eyes and pouted. “I’m taking him back with me, _not to eat_, and he’s going to be the best bird you’ve ever seen.”

Lancelot smiled and stepped forward to clap him gently on the shoulder. “I’m sure he will be, my friend, but for now perhaps we should get back to Camelot? I doubt he’d last long in the rain, and I know Gwaine can’t stand to be away from the tavern for too long.”

“Oi!” Gwaine yelled as everyone laughed, though he didn’t deny it. He couldn’t, really. “Like you’re much better, mister engaged to be married. Are you sure you haven’t gone and died on us from so much time away from your lovely Guinevere?”

Now it was Lancelot’s turn to splutter and protest as the rest of them laughed. Merlin grinned and peered down at the bird in his arms. Golden-brown eyes looked back at his, looking far more intelligent than he had thought an animal could.

A tingle of magic ran up his arm, weak and fragile but warm and gentle all the same.

* * *

Arthur couldn’t believe his manservant. Really, he was such a _girl_. He’d disappeared the instant they’d gotten back, that half-dead hatchling wrapped tightly in his neckerchief and clutched firmly to his chest. The knights had teased him relentlessly on the way back to the castle, Arthur laughing and joining in occasionally. Mostly, however, he had felt a strange kind of warmth in his chest. Merlin never ceased to amaze him.

Still, it had been three hours since then, and Arthur was still waiting for his dinner and a bath. He sighed and stood from his place by his table. Being Regent was harder than being Prince ever was. He could only imagine what being a king would be like.

He stalked to his door, slammed it open and then stalked down the hallway, irritation and exhaustion bubbling hot in his chest in equal measure. Merlin’s tardiness was, unfortunately, not surprising, although it was unusual for him to be this late. Arthur supposed he had the damned bird to thank for that.

“Merlin!” He yelled as he climbed the stairs to the physicians’ tower.

Muffled laughter responded to his call, and Arthur had to force his smile down. What was the idiot doing now?

He slowed his pace until he was creeping forward, as silent as he could be. There was another burst of laughter and some lowly murmured words, then Merlin cooed. Arthur finally reached Gaius’s door, and he pushed it open slowly, wincing when it creaked. He peeked his head inside and gave up trying to force his smile away.

Merlin was sat hunched over Gaius’s worktable, grinning and holding out a wiggling worm. His neckerchief was curled around the small ball of white fluff he’d rescued. The baby owl squeaked quietly and stretched its neck up, snapping up the worm in an instant. Merlin murmured praises and held up another worm.

“That’s it.” Merlin cooed when it took that worm too. “You’re doing so well! Do you want another one?”

The owl squeaked and Merlin laughed again as he reached over to get another worm. For all intents and purposes, Merlin was now the fluffball’s parent, and Arthur knew nothing was going to tear him away from the thing. That strange warm feeling was back. Arthur shook his head slightly, even as he leaned against the doorframe to see more. His bath and food could wait.

Merlin truly did never cease to amaze him.

* * *

“Gaius, what’s this book?” Merlin asked, holding up a book he’d never seen before.

Calling it a book was a compliment. It was more a collection of loose paper, bound together with old twine. The pages were old and yellowed, the first one completely blank, and it looked like it had been crumpled in places. It had no title, and Merlin hardly dared to touch it. He thought it might just turn to dust if he did. The baby owl gave a low hoo from his lap, his magic caressing Merlin’s lightly, as it had for the past few weeks since he rescued him.

Gaius turned from where he was measuring out herbs, one eyebrow raised slightly. His eyes widened at the sight of the book, and he immediately stopped what he was doing. Merlin watched, confused, as Gaius made his way over to the table to sit next to him. He took the book with slightly shaking hands, carefully tugging on the twine and lifting the first page.

Merlin gasped. The writing on the second page was beautiful, golden and bright just like his spell book, and written in the Old Tongue. Merlin would recognize the language of magic anywhere. He leaned closer, one hand dropping down to steady the baby owl’s body as he tried to climb up Merlin’s front.

“What is that?” Merlin whispered, when it became clear Gaius wasn’t going to answer him.

Gaius sighed and laid a hand on the page. “This, my boy, is a collection of pages of some of the most powerful known sorcerer’s grimoires.”

Merlin gaped. “I thought Uther had all magic books burned?”

“He did,” Gaius nodded, glancing back down to the stack of paper under his hand. “But there were some pages that were saved or salvaged from the wreckage.”

“Why did you never show me before?” Merlin whispered.

The baby owl stopped wiggling in his lap. He looked down at him, finding two eyes on him again. He ran a soothing finger down his back, and looked back up when Gaius cleated his throat.

“I had thought it best if I waited before giving this particular collection of spells to you,” he sighed. “They are extremely powerful, and I wanted to be sure you were ready for them.”

“Am I ready for them now?” Merlin asked hesitantly.

Gaius studied him for a long moment before nodding. “Yes, I believe you are.”

He pushed the papers towards Merlin, and then got up to return to his herbs. Merlin sat still for a moment, before leaping forward in his seat and grabbing the stack. The baby owl screeched in protest, and Merlin apologized as best he could with his eyes glued to the page, devouring everything he could.

Merlin was skimming through the book, hours later, the baby owl curled up asleep in his lap, when he saw something that made him jolt to attention. His eyes focused and caught ‘Emrys’ and ‘The Once and Future King.’ He quickly re-read the paragraph, fingers shaking and breathing unsteady.

“Is this a… prophecy?” Merlin mumbled, running his finger over the words again. One word in particular caught his attention. “Archimedes.”

The baby owl in his lap chirped, and a wash of magic rushed over him, almost drowning him in its approval. Merlin gasped and then laughed. He picked the bird up and lifted him to eye level, his eyebrow raised in a rough copy of Gaius’s.

“You like that, do you?” Merlin grinned. “Archimedes.”

He chirped again, and Merlin pet his tiny head. He leaned into it, and Merlin looked down at the page again.

“Archimedes it is.”

* * *

Weeks later (fourteen weeks and two days to be exact – Merlin had counted), Archimedes was fully grown, sporting a beautiful speckled brown and white coat of feathers and golden eyes that reminded Merlin of magic. It made sense, seeing as the little owl did, actually, have magic, something no one else seemed to notice. Merlin often wondered how, seeing as the little rascal was even more reckless than him.

“Did you seriously enchant Arthur’s cupboard to attract rats?”

Archimedes huffed and puffed out his chest. _He was being a prat! _

“And who do you think he’s going to blame for all the rats?” Merlin asked, exasperated.

_Not me!_ Archimedes said cheekily. _But he will want me to get rid of them. _

Merlin groaned and dropped his head into his hands. “I thought you didn’t like Arthur’s chambers.”

_I don’t like them when Arthur’s in them, _he ruffled his feathers and started grooming them back into place carefully. _They’re actually the best place to be in the morning. The sun shines just right to warm up my feathers perfectly. _

“Archimedes-“ Merlin started, ready to give him the lecture of a lifetime, when a yell cut him off.

“_MER_LIN!”

He groaned and shot a glare at Archimedes. “You’re coming with me. If I have to suffer his yelling, so do you.”

Archimedes squeaked and tried to fly away, but Merlin grabbed him with his magic and pulled him down until he was resting on his usual spot on Merlin shoulder. _You’re the worst father ever. I hope you treat your future children more kindly. _

Merlin rolled his eyes, even as he blushed slightly. Arthur had called him a girl so many times in those first weeks, and it hadn’t phased him at all, but then he suddenly started teasing him by calling Merlin the “little puffballs mother” and Archimedes had taken to the phrase like nothing else. Now he almost always called Merlin ‘Father’, which he supposed was better than ‘Mother’, at least. Merlin still wasn’t sure how to feel about it.

“Yes, my lord,” he called as he shoved Arthur’s door open.

The prince was standing, hands on his hips, in front of his cupboard. Rat droppings littered the floor around it. Merlin winced and looked up into Arthur’s eyes.

“What,” Arthur started, stern. “Is that?”

Merlin raised an eyebrow, feigning innocence. “Well, it looks like droppings to me. Sire.”

Arthur’s glare intensified. “_Rat_ droppings.”

Archimedes giggles filled his mind. Merlin raised a hand to pinch him lightly on the leg. The cheeky bird squawked and bit at Merlin’s ear. It wasn’t that hard, but Merlin flicked at him all the same.

“Possibly,” he hedged.

Arthur sighed, exasperated. “And why are there rat droppings in my room, Merlin?”

Merlin narrowed his eyes. “From the… rats?”

Arthur looked like he was going to explode. Merlin loved doing this, acting the fool just enough that it didn’t look suspicious, but enough that it bothered someone enough to have them wondering about his sanity. It was something Archimedes had almost instantly picked up on, and Merlin hated how easily he was able to turn Merlin’s trick against him.

“Yes, from _the rats_,” Arthur hissed. “The rats that _should not be in my chambers_.”

Merlin fought back a smile. “Of course not sire! Only one animal belongs in here.”

Arthur glared at Merlin’s shoulder. “Your damned fluffball doesn’t belong in here either.”

“I wasn’t talking about him,” Merlin said cheerfully as he got a bucket to sweep the droppings into. “I was referring to the royal ass that’s been living here for the last few years.”

Arthur spluttered, his eyes going wide for a second. Merlin grinned for a second, and Archimedes’s laughter filled his mind, as high and bright as a delighted child. He had half a second to congratulate himself for a joke well done before Arthur was yelling and running towards him. Archimedes screeched and launched off his shoulder as Merlin bolted.

Arthur chased him around his room, Archimedes following above them and encouraging Arthur to catch him. He even spelled Arthur’s blanket to curl around his legs, so when he jumped onto the bed to make a daring escape he got stuck and fell hard. _Brat_!

Archimedes landed on the bedpost, still laughing hard. _You would have fallen without my help and you know it. _

_You’re the worst son ever_. Merlin grumbled as Arthur caught him and roughly rubbed his knuckles against Merlin’s head.

“Ow!” Merlin yelled, struggling in Arthur’s grip, no matter how futile it was. “Get off!”

“Still think I’m a royal ass?” Arthur asked as he let him go, a huge smile on his face.

Merlin’s mind stuttered for a moment, then he gingerly fixed his hair back into place. “The biggest.”

Arthur laughed and fell back on the bed. Archimedes, clearly thinking himself helpful, flew back down to Merlin’s shoulder and attempted to help him with his hair. He appreciated the sentiment, truly, but he was really only good at preening his own feathers. Merlin’s hair was more a mess than before by the time he finally shooed him off.

“Away with you!” Merlin huffed, pushing at Archimedes’s face until he drew back. “You’re not helping.”

Archimedes squawked in protest. _I am too! _

“No, you aren’t,” Merlin sighed. “I think it’s lovely you want to help, but my hair is not made of feathers.”

Archimedes huffed and flew back to the bedpost, deliberately facing away from him. _Humph._

Merlin huffed right back at him, and stuck his tongue out for good measure. Then he shook his head and turned a smile to Arthur.

Arthur, who looked straight at him and murmured. “Cute.”

Merlin immediately flushed, eyes going wide and Archimedes snapped his head around. “I- you- what?”

Arthur flushed and cleared his throat. “The fluffball. With your hair.”

Merlin raised a hand to his hear again, his heartbeat thundering in his chest. “O-oh. Right. Of course.”

Arthur cleared his throat again, then hastily stood and walked towards the door. “Make sure you get rid of that rat Merlin! I don’t want my chambers to become infested with the things!”

“Yes sire,” he said absently, still trying to calm his heart. “That was weird.”

_He’d never call me cute. _

Merlin jerked and focused back on the owl. “What?”

_He calls me fluffball. And terror. Never cute. _Archimedes explained, head cocked to one side.

Merlin snorted and finally dropped his hand. “You were lucky. Don’t expect another compliment for a month. Or a year.”

Archimedes shook his head. _I don’t believe he was talking about me. _

“Of course he was,” Merlin dismisses. “There wasn’t anyone else he could have been talking about.”

_What about you?_

He snorted. “Arthur thinks me a bumbling idiot, there’s no way he was talking about me.”

Archimedes shook his head again. _I think, Father, that you are as oblivious as he._

Merlin shook his head and got back to work shoveling the rat droppings. As if.

* * *

Arthur was _really_ beginning to regret allowing Merlin to keep that damned owl. The thing had a nasty habit of biting people. More specifically, it had a habit of biting _Arthur_.

“Well, maybe you shouldn’t be such a prat,” was all Merlin said, after Arthur finally complained to him. “He’s quite intelligent you know. He can tell when you’re insulting him.”

Arthur had rolled his eyes and glared daggers at it. “It’s a bird Merlin. It wouldn’t know an insult from a declaration of love.”

The bird seemed amused at that, and nibbled on Merlin’s ears. Arthur resisted the urge to pull it away. It never bit _Merlin _hard enough to draw blood, he needn’t worry. Or anything else just as ridiculous.

He waved his hand around, gesturing to the small bite marks on the tips of his fingers. “Look at this! It’s a beast!”

Merlin rolled his eyes and dramatically stepped closer so he could take Arthur’s hand in his own. It made him shiver, as every touch Merlin gave him had for the past few months. It was steadily driving him wild.

“Aw, the poor prince. Shall I kiss it better?” Merlin teased.

Arthur tensed, and he very deliberately didn’t imagine those pretty lips wrapped around his fingers. “No, _Mer_lin, I want you to control your damned bird.”

Merlin huffed and dropped his hand, Arthur immediately missing the warmth of it. “Just be nicer to him. He’s not going to like you if you keep being an ass.”

Arthur shook his head and muttered insults under his breath. The fluffball stared straight at him, its head spun around so it could look at him over Merlin’s back. He wrinkled his nose and glared. He thought it might have glared back.

“Stupid bird,” he muttered to himself, shaking the lingering pain from his fingers. He hadn’t even been insulting it. “I just wanted Merlin to myself for the day. Suggesting you stay with Gaius isn’t _that_ awful of a request.”

The owl squawked, and Arthur almost thought it was arguing with him. He shook his head and turned back to his paperwork. Maybe Merlin was right when he said all these late nights weren’t good for him.

* * *

It happened on a rather ordinary night. Arthur had just gotten back from a visit to his father. The king was as unresponsive as ever, and some dark part of Merlin hoped he’d never regain his wits, even as the rest of him hoped every day he recovered, for Arthur’s sake. It was difficult, seeing Arthur try and deal with all the duties of a king while his father slowly wasted away.

Arthur had walked in and immediately collapsed at his desk, muttering something about the recent council meeting. Merlin left him to his thoughts. He knew interrupting him now might be a bad idea – he needed something to focus on other than his father’s failing health, and state affairs were often the most effective way to distract him, at least for a while.

So Merlin continued cleaning Arthur’s armour in silence. Normally he’d do this in his rooms, but on nights like tonight he was hesitant to leave Arthur alone, for all that he also didn’t want to interrupt him. Polishing armour was the perfect solution, as he could do it quietly and within Arthur’s chambers. He hunched over his task, trying to make the breastplate shine. Archimedes sat by the window, watching the clouds roll past lazily.

“I’m in love with you.”

Merlin startled and dropped the polishing cloth, though he thankfully managed to keep his hold on the armour. He stared at Arthur, who stared back at him with eyes steadily being drowned in panic. He tried to speak, honestly, but his mind and gone blank and his throat had clogged up. He gaped at Arthur for what felt like an eternity, turning his words over in his mind and trying to convince himself he’d actually heard them and not just imagined Arthur confessing.

It was when Arthur made a slight choking noise that he found his voice again.

“I’m in love with you too,” he said, then immediately felt all the breath rush out of him.

They stared at each other in silence. Archimedes had twisted his head around to stare at them both, but Merlin couldn’t hear a peep from him. Whatever the little owl was thinking, he wasn’t sharing. Merlin silently reminded himself to thank him later for not interrupting this moment.

Then Arthur stood, and Merlin watched, frozen, as he made his way over to him. When he was only a few paces away he found his breath again and scrambled up, abandoning the armour on the table. He took one step forward, Arthur took two more, and then they were face to face, Arthur looking up slightly to meet his eyes. Arthur raised a hand to his cheek, cupping it gently, and Merlin pressed into it.

It was only when Arthur’s eyes fluttered closed and he leaned forward that it hit him what they were doing. Dread and fear churned in his stomach, and he gripped Arthur’s wrist with one hand and let the other stop Arthur’s advances, his lips so incredibly _soft_ against the digits.

“I can’t,” Merlin whispered.

Arthur frowned and pulled back. “Why not?”

Merlin swallowed and took a step back, letting himself sink back into the chair. Arthur lowered his hand slowly, and out of the corner of his eye he saw twin golden eyes burning holes into the side of his head. He dropped his eyes to the floor and wrapped his hands around his middle.

“I- there’s something I haven’t told you. A secret,” he said.

Arthur made a small noise in the back of his throat. “It’s okay Merlin. I hardly expect you to tell me all your secrets.”

There was a note of hurt in his voice that Merlin hated. He knew Arthur, knew he hid nothing from him. Merlin sometimes wondered how he had come to deserve such trust, when he had such a huge secret he was, honestly, not perfect at hiding. It was a miracle no one had found him out yet. He shivered.

“You deserve to know,” he whispered, not sure he could speak any louder. “I want to tell you. Have wanted to, for years. But- but I didn’t know how you’d react, and I had to keep you safe. That’s all that matters, all that’s ever mattered,” here, he raised his head and stared Arthur in the eye, determined. “I’ve protected you, from the shadows, since the day I first met you. But I couldn’t tell you. I- it-“

His throat had closed up again, and he shook his head. Tears slipped from his eyes as he realized he was really doing this. He was going to tell Arthur. And he might lose him because of it.

“Merlin,” Arthur murmured, and suddenly there was a hand on his shoulder and a forehead against his. He gasped. “It’s alright.”

Merlin laughed and shook his head. “It’s not.”

“It _is_,” Arthur insisted.

“You don’t know that,” Merlin pulled back, still shaking his head. “I broke the law, so many times. I promise, it was for you Arthur, always for you, and Camelot. I’d never betray you, I swear on my life.”

Arthur stared at him, no longer reaching out to comfort, and Merlin’s heart beat quick in his chest. This was it. This was the moment.

“Which law?” Arthur asked softly.

Merlin shook his head again. He couldn’t say it. His throat had closed up again, and the words could get past the blockage, no matter what he did. His mouth opened and closed uselessly, and his heart beat like a drum in his ears. He couldn’t do it. Goddess, he was such a _coward_.

_He’s magic_, he heard suddenly, and from the startled look on Arthur’s face he wasn’t the only one. They both turned to Archimedes, who had turned to face them from his spot on the window. _We both are_.

Arthur gaped. He glanced around the room, as if trying to find who else could have spoken. Merlin knew no one else could have. Only Kilgharrah and the Druids spoke with their minds, and both were far away from Camelot. Archimedes was the only other one that could. Arthur seemed to come to the same conclusion, and Merlin thought for a moment they would be okay.

Then Arthur’s hand twitched towards the knife still on his table from his dinner.

Merlin leapt up, placing himself between Arthur and Archimedes. Damn it, but he loved the little owl as fiercely as if he were his own flesh and blood, and he refused to let anything happen to him. Even if it meant Arthur had only him to focus on as his target.

“We were born with it Arthur,” he murmured, hands out palm down and trying to calm him. “I swear, we’ve never used it against you. I swear it Arthur, please.”

Arthur shook his head slightly, as if denying his words. “I- I don’t understand. _Why_?”

Merlin’s eyes swam with tears at the broken question. “We didn’t have a choice. The magic chose us. We could only choose how to use it.”

Arthur pressed a hand to his temple. “And you chose to protect me?”

His breath caught on a dangerous flair of hope. “Yes.”

Arthur looked at him, and Merlin had never seen him look so lost. “_Why_?”

_Because you may be a prat, but you’re a good man_, Archimedes said. _And you’ll be a good king_.

Merlin nodded.

“My magic is for you, Arthur. It’s _yours_,” he smiled shakily. “I’m yours.”

“Why are you only telling me this now?” Arthur whispered.

Merlin gulped. “Because I love you, and I couldn’t keep it from you anymore.”

Arthur stared, and Merlin felt a spark of hope. Maybe he would understand. Maybe this didn’t have to change everything, maybe this wasn’t the end at all. Archimedes flew silently to his shoulder and nipped at his ear in comfort.

Arthur glanced at him, then stared directly into Merlin’s eyes. He opened his mouth, and spoke the words that would determine their fate.

* * *

“Merlin!” Arthur yelled, trying and failing to swat at Archimedes as he dived at him again. “Archimedes stop it! _Mer_lin!”

“_Ar_thur!” Merlin called back, laughing and not even bothering to look up from his place on the picnic blanket. “Just tell him you’re sorry.”

“I didn’t do anything!” Arthur protested.

Archimedes hooted triumphantly and dived at him again, this time managing to snag the shoulder of his tunic. The fabric tore with a long rip, loud in the forests air. Arthur yelled again and tried to grab the damned owl, but he was too quick, and Arthur scowled as he flew high and out of reach. Cheeky laughter tinkled in the back of his mind.

“_Archimedes_,” Merlin finally called, stern.

Arthur rolled his eyes. Trust him to only step in when his clothes were on the line.

_But Father! _Archimedes wined. _He was yelling at you! _

Merlin laughed. “He’s always yelling at me.”

Archimedes landed on the tree above their little picnic spot, on a branch just too far away to reach. Arthur glared as he made his way over.

“He deserved it,” he grumbled. “He ate all the cheese.”

“I warned you,” Merlin said, entirely unapologetic. “We came out here to relax. You’re the one that chose to spend so much time investigating the area.”

_Especially since I already told you it was clear. There’s no one around for miles. _

Arthur sighed and collapsed into the blanket, almost spilling the food everywhere. Merlin’s eyes flashed golden as he waved his hand and kept the food and drinks where they were, unspilled. Arthur rolled his head into his lap while he was distracted.

“We have to be careful. People know about us now, and I won’t risk Morgana or Morgause ambushing us,” he said seriously.

“We haven’t heard anything about them in almost a year Arthur,” Merlin murmured. “They’re probably not even in Camelot anymore.”

“Or they could be lying in wait for an opportunity to strike,” Arthur argued. “Agravaine was right. We have to be careful.”

Merlin scrunched up his nose. “I don’t like that man.”

_I don’t either_, Archimedes chimed in, flying down to land on the blanket next to Merlin’s knee. _He reminds me of a snake. Or a weasel. _

“Enough,” Arthur warned. “He’s my uncle. I trust him.”

“And Morgana was your sister,” Merlin reminded gently, and Arthur felt the familiar flair of pain at the reminder. “We just don’t want to see you hurt. You shouldn’t trust someone blindly just because they share your blood.”

Arthur felt anger bubble up in his chest, but he swallowed it down. This was not the time to talk of such matters. There were plenty of other things they could be doing instead.

Arthur raised one hand and wrapped it around Merlin’s neck. He tugged, until Merlin rolled his eyes and leaned down. Their lips met, and Arthur sighed. Kissing Merlin was different from kissing anyone else, and it surprised Arthur every time.

_Gross_, Archimedes said in disgust, and then he was gone, off to hunt his own lunch.

Merlin giggled, and then Arthur laughed, and they both melted down onto the blanket together, still laughing. Arthur watched to make sure Archimedes was gone and not coming back, before he turned back to Merlin. With the kid gone, there were a few things Arthur wanted to do with his lover.


End file.
